Band-cutter



C. L. LOFFLER.

BAND CUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED APR.18. 1918.

1,394,434, Patented 0m 18, 1921.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES L LOFFLER, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

BAND-CUTTER.

Application filed April 18,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHAnLns L. LOFFLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Band-Cutters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in means for cutting the bands on bundles of grain as the latter are fed into threshing machines. More particularly the improvements relate to the means for securing the blades on the shaft which revolves them, said shaft being usually arranged in the band cutter and feeder mechanisms and positioned so thatthe blades carried by the shaft will revolve and cut the bands as the bundles are fed into the band cutter and feeder. The primary object of this inven tion is to provide the cutting blade with simple, inexpensive and effective means for securing it on the knife shaft, said construction enabling the ready assembling of the blades on said shaft or removal there from.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective of my improved band cutter; Fig. 2 is a plan view partly in section of a detail showing a plurality of my improved cutters mounted upon the knife shaft; Fig. 3 is a perspective of one of the collars removed from the shaft; and Figs. 41- and 5 are details partly in section of alternative constructions showing modifications of the means for holding the blades on the shaft, the cutting blades being shown in section on that portion of the blades indicated by the line XX inFig. 1.

In the drawings A indicates one of my improved knife cutters which is in the form of a blade resembling a segment having a curved cutting edge 2 on its periphery. The body of this blade which is adapted. to be mounted upon a cutter shaft 13 (see Fig. 2) is formed with an angular opening 3, which is adapted to fit snugly over the square portion l of said shaft, a side of said opening forming a passage 5 being left open so that the blade canbe attached to or removed sidewise from the shaft. For the purpose of holding the blade on the shaft after it has been placed sidewise over the square portion of the shaft a flange. 6 is bent outwardly from one side of the blade at the heel or inner end of the opening 3, so as to form a Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 18, 1921.

1918. Serial No. 229,372.

shoulder over which a collar such as 7 is placed, said collar resembling a spool, encircling the shaft and locking the blade on the shaft. The collar acts as a spacing element between pairs of cutters placed upon the shaft so as to assist in holding a plurality of cutters in spaced relation longitudinally of and on the shaft, an end collar 8 fitted closely over and secured by the rivet or bolt 9 on one end of the shaft acts as an abutment for one end of the series of cutters and a half spool collar 10 and a pair of lock nuts 11 threaded on the opposite end of the shaft serve to clamp the series of cutters and collars against said abutment and hold them fixed upon the shaft, in which position the flanges 6 on the cutters engaged by the washers serve to lock the cutters securely on the shaft as the latter revolves. The walls of the bores 12 in the collars 7 and 10 contact with the corners of the shaft B and engage the shoulders 6 and hold the blades radially on the shaft. In the event it is desired to remove any of the blades the lock nut-s 11 are loosened and the collars spread sufficiently so that any one or all of the blades desired can be removed quickly without the removal of any others. This effects a saving of time and labor over having to slide all of the blades or a number of the blades longitudinally off of the shaft as has heretofore been the general practice. The cutting edge 2 of the blade extends along the curved outer edge from the portion engaged by the collars to the tip thereby mosteifectively cutting the band without any opportunity for any portion of the bands escaping the cutting action of the blade. The blades can be arranged as desired about the shaft that is one blade may be positioned with its cuttin edge at one side of the shaft while the companion blade is placed with its cutting edge on the opposite portion of the shaft, said arrangement being optional by the user and the attaching means being adapted for such use.

In the construction shown in Fig. 4, the cutting blade 15 is similar to the blade shown in Fig. 1 except that the shoulder at the inner end of the opening 3 is formed by the heads of a rivet or bolt 16 secured through blade 19 are shown formed by a pair of thin cleats 20 which are secured by rivet 21 to the blade. These shoulders are also engaged and held by the collars 22.

My improved structure described prevents the blades from flying loose from the shaft as the latter revolves, prevents the blades from turning on the shaft and also prevents the blades from wabbling.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principles of operation of my invention together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but I desire to have it understood that the construction shown is only illustrative and that the invention can be carried out by other means and applied to uses other than those above set forth Within the scope of the following claims.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is 1. In a band cutter having a shaft angular in cross section, a blade having an angular opening in one side of its body adapted to fit snugly over the shaft, a side of said opening being opened to permit removal of the; blade from the shaft, said blade having an'. integral flange bent outwardly therefrom at the inner end of said opening, a collar fitted over said shaft and engaging over said flange to hold the blade on the shaft, and means for clamping said blade and collar together,

2. In a band cutter, a shaft angular in cross section, a removable blade having an angular notch in one side of its body adapted to fit snugly over the shaft in various angular relations of said blade with respect to said shaft, a collar on said shaft contacting only with the corners thereof, said blade having a shoulder thereon arranged to rest within the bore of said collar in the different angular positions of said blade on said shaft, and means for securing the blade and collar against separation longitudinally of the shaft.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

CHARLES L. LOFFLER. 

